Unitree Teases New Home Robot, Hints at Sub-$10,000 Price
Unitree Robotics, a company increasingly prominent in the development of both quadruped and bipedal robots, has released a tantalizing teaser for an upcoming humanoid model. In a social media post on May 30, 2025, the Hangzhou-based firm hinted at a new robot with 26 degrees of freedom (DOF) and, most notably, a potential price point suggested by the figure "$?000."
Decoding the Teaser: Specs and Price Hints
The teaser image, a shadowy silhouette of a humanoid robot, offers little visual detail but is accompanied by specific technical information: "26 joint DOF (62+2+52+2) COMING SOON $?000." The DOF breakdown likely corresponds to:
Legs: 6 DOF per leg (total 12 DOF), allowing for dynamic walking and balance.
Arms: 5 DOF per arm (total 10 DOF), suitable for a range of manipulation tasks.
Torso: 2 DOF, providing additional flexibility and reach.
Head: 2 DOF, likely for pan and tilt movements.
This 26 DOF configuration positions the new robot as a capable platform for research and interaction, comparable to many contemporary humanoid designs.
The most striking element of the announcement is the price hint: "$?000." While deliberately ambiguous, this notation is often used to suggest a price point under $10,000. For context, Unitree's current G1 humanoid robot, popular among researchers, is listed at $16,000, while its larger H1 model is priced around $90,000. A humanoid with 26 DOF priced in the four-figure range would represent a significant step in making advanced robotic hardware more accessible.
Enhanced Articulation: A Step Up from the G1
The teased 26 DOF represents an upgrade in articulation compared to Unitree's existing G1 model, which features 23 degrees of freedom (6 DOF per leg, 5 DOF per arm, and 1 DOF in the waist). While both robots appear to share the same configuration for the limbs, the new model offers increased complexity in the torso and head.
The G1 has a single DOF in its waist. In contrast, the new robot's speculated 2 DOF torso suggests more nuanced upper body movement, potentially allowing for greater flexibility in tasks requiring bending, twisting, or side-to-side leaning. This could improve balance during dynamic motions and expand the robot's workspace for manipulation.
Furthermore, the allocation of a 2 DOF head (likely for pan and tilt) is a notable addition. The G1's 23 DOF configuration doesn't explicitly detail dedicated head articulation in the same manner. The new model's dedicated head DOFs will likely provide enhanced capabilities for visual perception, allowing it to look around more freely, track objects more effectively, and potentially engage in more expressive, human-like head gestures. These additional degrees of freedom in the torso and head are key areas where the new model probably offers improved dexterity and interaction capabilities over the G1.
Market Context and Implications
Unitree has established itself by providing relatively affordable and capable platforms like the G1, which has become a common choice for academic and corporate labs working on embodied AI. A new model that further lowers the cost barrier while maintaining or improving capability could accelerate research and development in areas such as human-robot interaction, locomotion, and artificial general intelligence (AGI) – a term Unitree included in its announcement hashtags (#AGI #EmbodiedAI #AI #HumanoidRobot #Bipedal #WorldModel).
The teaser's timing coincides with major robotics events, including the Humanoids Summit in London and the Embodied Intelligence Developer Conference in Shanghai, highlighting a global acceleration in the humanoid robotics field.
While details remain scarce, the prospect of a 26 DOF humanoid robot priced under $10,000 is an exciting development. As Unitree continues to push the boundaries of affordability and functionality in robotics, this new model could play a significant role in democratizing access to advanced humanoid robots for research and practical applications alike.
